Ian Healy says David Warner should consider extending Test career

With no clear option at the top to take over, one of Australian cricket’s most prominent voices says David Warner should consider continuing his career.

Ian Healy believes David Warner should consider playing on for another year as Australia remains deeply uncertain about the identity of his replacement.

Australian stars Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne have all distanced themselves from the prospect of shifting up to open the batting when Warner retires after the third Test against Pakistan in Sydney.

But selectors also haven’t been sold on specialist openers Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft as being automatic call-ups to fill the shoes of the dynamic run-scoring Warner, who has a strike rate that makes him virtually impossible to replace.

Following Warner’s match-winning 164 in the first Test in Perth, commentary has shifted from question marks over whether the veteran deserved a final series, to calls for him to now bat on at Test level for another 12 months ahead of next summer’s high-stakes tour by India.

Warner scored a blistering ton in the first innings against Pakistan. (Photo by COLIN MURTY / AFP)

“What I love about him is his durability,” Healy said on SEN.

“We all know how fit he must be because he’s maintained his pace between wickets.

“I just love the way that he kept going and his feet moved.

“This is the bit I agree about Mitchell Johnson and what he said about, ‘Why have a swan song, your last three years hasn’t been very good and now you’re picking the way you can retire.’

“But if he bats like that, he can go another year for mine until he doesn’t want to play anymore.”

Warner has stated his intention to retire after playing the Sydney Test in front of his home fans, but would the quality of his big ton in Perth tempt him to bat on for the enormous challenge of stopping India from winning a third consecutive series on Australian soil?

That seems highly unlikely and his retirement appears locked in, but the fact remains that there is still no obvious successor for Warner jumping out of the woodwork.

Healy raved about the quality of Warner’s innings on a difficult batting deck.

“That 160 he made in the first innings won us a Test in Perth,” Healy said on SEN.

“It wasn’t easy. I looked at it from afar on Thursday afternoon and I said, ‘Oh, jeez, I wouldn’t like to be Pakistan’, they are going to feel about a foot shorter than they actually are tomorrow afternoon not knowing how difficult the conditions were.

“ … I liked the way Michael Slater made tough second innings batting conditions look. Mark Waugh could also make a mockery of tough conditions. But David Warner was outstanding.”

Warner’s eventual replacement remains a mystery. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Mark Waugh has advocated for Cameron Green as a realistic option to come into the side after Warner’s retirement and open the batting.

Waugh also doesn’t believe it would be a big adjustment for Labuschagne to shift up one place from No. 3 to the top of the order.

Renshaw put himself massively in the frame with a timely century for the Prime Minister’s XI against Pakistan with the spotlight on him.

The concern from selectors and ex-greats has been whether they can replace Warner with a more conservative opener and how that might affect the batting rhythm of Usman Khawaja, who has thrived on having Warner down the other end.

For the record, Khawaja is adamant opening is a specialist position and has a tight relationship with Renshaw at Queensland.

Originally published as Ian Healy says David Warner should consider extending Test career